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Researchers from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) are developing a way to design, print, and assemble a simple cyborg in as little as four hours.

The system, dubbed “Interactive Robogami,” is aimed at non-experts—the unwashed masses without a degree in science or engineering.

(via MIT CSAIL)

“Designing robots usually requires expertise that only mechanical engineers and roboticists have,” Ph.D. student Adriana Schulz said in a statement.

But not anymore. As detailed in a paper published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Robotics Research, users can choose from a library of 50-plus bodies, wheels, legs, and accessories, as well as a selection of gaits (which determines how the bot moves).

Set your imagination free. And don’t worry about building an impossible automation: By confirming speed, stability, and other aspects, the system is able to ensure feasibility. So you know your robot won’t be too top-heavy to move.

“What’s exciting here is that we’ve created a tool that allows a casual user to design their own robot by giving them this expert knowledge,” Schulz said.

Once designed, the program uses an origami-inspired print-and-fold technique that combines “the most effective parts” of 2D and 3D printing to “develop strong, complex designs with lightweight materials,” according to Cynthia Sung, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

To test their system, the CSAIL team gave eight subjects 20 minutes of training before asking them to perform two tasks. The first involved creating a mobile, stable car design in 10 minutes; the second required them to navigate a robot through an obstacle course as quickly as possible.

(via MIT CSAIL)

Each cyborg (six in total) took 10 to 15 minutes to design, three to seven hours to print, and 30 to 90 minutes to assemble. They also demonstrated what MIT called a “wide range of movement,” like using single legs to walk, employing legs and wheels simultaneously, and applying different step sequences.

“You can quickly design a robot that you can print out, and that will help you do these tasks very quickly, easily, and cheaply,” Sung said. “It’s lowering the barrier to have everyone design and create their own robots.”

While the current system focuses solely on designs that walk, the team hopes future bots will also take flight, and that users will be able to better customize their creations.

“These tools enable new approaches to teaching computational thinking and creating,” MIT professor Daniela Rus added. “Students can not only learn by coding and making their own robots, but by bringing to life conceptual ideas about what their robots can actually do.”